What started for Gill as a hobby has become Celtic Wood Works, Gill’s custom Irish-themed wood-carving business. This past weekend’s Colorado Irish Festival at Clement Park marked the first time Gill has taken his work from his garage to a festival.

The Littleton City Council has approved up to a $300,000 tax rebate as an incentive for the Breckenridge Brewery to relocate to Littleton.

The council approved the tax rebate on June 4 when it gave final approval to Breckenridge Brewery’s site development plan. The council passed the measure on a 6-1 vote, with Councilwoman Peggy Cole voting no.

Breckenridge will receive a 50 percent rebate on any sales taxes collected after the first $40,000 is collected by Littleton. The brewery is estimated to bring in about $120,000 a year in tax revenue.

It’s not easy for Robin and James Buesching, aunt and nephew, to talk about why they started Heavenly Grounds Coffee House, which opened two months ago just west of Wadsworth at 8966 W. Bowles Ave.

“It all started with my father and his sudden death,” James Buesching said.

Rod Buesching, James’ father and Robin’s little brother, died on Nov. 13, 2011, at the age of 53. He had suffered from fibrosis of the heart and lungs and severe arthritis before dying of heart failure.

Jeffco’s housing market continues to show signs of improvement, as foreclosures keep declining while demand for properties and property values both have increased.

In the first quarter of 2013, Jeffco Public Trustee Margaret Chapman said, the county has seen a 40 percent drop in the number of foreclosures filed, when compared to the same period last year. If the pace continues, Jeffco would see about 1,700 foreclosures this year.

The Jefferson County Economic Development Corp. is about to announce a new initiative designed to bring the county more than 7,500 full-time jobs over a five-year period — but it would cost taxpayers another $100,000 annually on top of the $300,000 the EDC already receives.

On March 19, the Littleton City Council unanimously approved a zoning change to allow Breckenridge Brewery to build a 12-acre facility at South Santa Fe Drive and Briarwood Avenue next to the South Platte River. The brewery, which should be completed by the fall of 2014, will include a distribution center along with a restaurant and gift shop.

Breckenridge has described the project as a destination brewery, one easily accessed by bikers from the nearby Mary Carter Greenway Trail.

Breckenridge Brewery’s big move to Littleton is one step closer to being a reality.

Littleton’s planning board voted 7-0 to approve rezoning of the proposed site of the new brewery, at 6775 and 6855 S. Santa Fe Drive. Currently the 19-acre property is home to two landscaping businesses.

One of those businesses, Designs by Sundown, plans to expand on the property as well, adding a new corporate office and more storage.

Jeffco once again saw an improvement in its housing market last year as foreclosures decreased for a third year in a row in the county.

In 2012, Jeffco had 2,650 foreclosure actions initiated, according to a recent report from the county’s public trustee. That number was down 206 from 2011 and 1,377 from 2009, when 4,027 homes saw the foreclosure process start, a record number for Jeffco coming at the height of the foreclosure crisis.

Plans to build a new Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage store in South Jeffco are moving forward.

The Jeffco commissioners on Jan. 15 approved rezoning of land at South Kipling Parkway and West Coal Mine Avenue. Zoning on part of the 1.5-acre lot had to be changed from agricultural 1 to planned development.

The zoning change gives the green light for ground to be broken on the more than 15,000-square-foot organic grocery store, which will replace the company’s store at South Simms Street and West Ken Caryl Avenue.

Despite all the choices in the cereal aisle, products geared toward those who must be watchful of some common ingredients are somewhat limited. And Diana Jeanene knows this all too well —she developed a gluten allergy six years ago.

“First of all, a lot of gluten-free products were not good,”Jeanene said.

Jeanene felt the gluten-free choices were lacking in important attributes, like taste —when she could even find them.